4.9
4.6
Travel Information
Compare bus, train, and flight for San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL
Omio recommends booking the flight as it is the most popular option from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price, take the bus, with an average ticket price of $291 For those with little time, consider booking a flight, which has an average total journey time of 8h 4m. If you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint, the train is your best option, with estimated CO2 emissions of 0.9 - 2.7kg. Average ticket prices depend on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $291, while a flight costs an average of $566.
Distance: 1853 miles (2983 km)
Compare flight with
Most popular Flight | Train | Bus | Driving |
|---|---|---|---|
$566 Average price | $346 Average price | $291 Average price Cheapest | $444 Average price (fuel + tolls) |
8h 4m Average total duration Fastest 6h 4m Onboard + 2h 0m Additional time* | 56h 11m Average total duration 55h 41m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 56h 1m Average total duration 55h 31m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 30h 53m Average total duration (door-to-door) |
8.9 - 17.9kg CO2 emissions | 0.9 - 2.7kg CO2 emissions Lowest | 3.0 - 7.5kg CO2 emissions | - CO2 emissions |
 Most popular airline |  Most popular train company |  Most popular bus company | Your own car or car rental |
Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options |
Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.
This is compared to other travel options from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL:
A bus is $55 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL costing on average $346.
A bus is $275 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL costing on average $566.
Other travel options to Chicago, IL take longer:
Bus takes on average 56h 1m.
Train takes on average 56h 11m.
Tickets start at around $346 compared to roughly $444 in fuel and tolls — a saving of about $98. The journey takes 55h 41m versus 30h 53m by car, so you'll arrive a bit later, but you can work, read, or sleep along the way rather than spending the time behind the wheel. You'll also save the hassle of parking at the other end.
Driving is worth it if you're on a tight schedule, travelling as a group, or want to stop somewhere en route.
Travel optionsfrom San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL
How to get from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL by train, bus or flight.
Our recommendation
The best way to travel from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL is by taking a flight because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
F91094 · F9317412:00 PM10h24San Francisco International Airport12:24 AMO'Hare International Airport$2291One-way1 transfer
Cheapest
- F91094 · F9317412:00 PM10h24San Francisco International Airport12:24 AMO'Hare International Airport$2291One-way1 transfer
Fastest
- UA19586:38 PM4h17San Francisco International Airport12:55 AMO'Hare International Airport$3801One-way0 transfers
Other options
- 4770 Connecting Bus · 770 Pacific Surfliner · 4 Southwest Chief10:35 PM62h09San Francisco, CA2:44 PMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL$3111One-way2 transfers
- 6624 Connecting Bus · 6 California Zephyr7:00 AM53h39San Francisco, CA2:39 PMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL$4461One-way1 transfer
- 5014 Connecting Bus · 14 Coast Starlight · 28 Empire Builder8:50 PM65h55San Francisco, CA4:45 PMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL$5111One-way2 transfers
FlixBus+ · · 8:40 AM69h20San Francisco, Townsend Street / 5th Street, CA8:00 AMChicago, Union Station (Amtrak), IL$2391One-way4 transfers- · · 1:10 PM49h15San Francisco, Transit Center Bay 294:25 PMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station$2411One-way2 transfers
- FlixBus+ · · 8:40 AM53h45San Francisco, Townsend Street / 5th Street, CA4:25 PMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station$2421One-way3 transfers
- F91230 · F931746:00 AM16h24San Francisco International Airport12:24 AMO'Hare International Airport$2291One-way1 transfer
- F94402 · F9214610:19 PM28h57San Francisco International Airport5:16 AMO'Hare International Airport$2291One-way1 transfer
- F91448 · F9144110:14 PM9h07San Francisco International Airport9:21 AMO'Hare International Airport$2551One-way1 transfer
Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .
Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, buses and flights
Compare bus, train, and flight prices over the next three weeks. See the best deals at a glance, find the lowest fares, and choose the option that fits your budget.
Oct 08
Oct 09
Oct 10
Oct 11
Oct 12
Oct 13
Oct 14
Oct 15
Oct 16
Oct 17
Oct 18
Oct 19
Oct 20
Oct 21
Oct 22
Oct 23
Oct 24
Oct 25
Oct 26
Oct 27
Oct 28
More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.
FAQs: Travel from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL
Travel to Chicago, IL easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL.
This is compared to other travel options from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL:
A bus is $55 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL costing on average $346.
A bus is $275 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL costing on average $566.
Other travel options to Chicago, IL take longer:
Bus takes on average 56h 1m.
Train takes on average 56h 11m.
- Around 92 flights per day.
- Around 5 buses per day.
- Around 3 trains per day.
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL as scheduled services by bus, train, and flight can vary by season or day of the week.
- Flights mostly depart from San Francisco International Airport and arrive in O'Hare International Airport.
- Trains mostly depart from Emeryville station, Emeryville, CA and arrive in Chicago Union Station, Chicago, IL.
- Buses mostly depart from San Francisco, Transit Center Bay 29 and arrive in Chicago, Greyhound Bus Station.
- Travel with American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, United, frontier airlines, Sun Country Airlines to go to Chicago, IL by flight.
- Travel with Greyhound to go to Chicago, IL by bus.
- Travel with Amtrak to go to Chicago, IL by train.
- 14 direct flights per day with American Airlines, United.
- 1 direct trains per day with Amtrak.
Travelling from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL: related information
Here are some other resources that might have the information you need
Travel to popular destinations by train, bus or flight
The Omio App Makes Travel Planning Easy
We’ll get you where you want to go. From live train updates to mobile tickets, our innovative app is the ideal way to plan and keep track of your travel.
